[WIP]
(picture of coat of arms)
Khaz-Karim and its coat of arms
Population: 541,000
Government: Monarchy, rule by its king Rurmic Bouldhart
Defence: Steinbeards, Jaded Mountaineers, Runesmiths
Commerce: Metal, Stone, imports from Sturmkrag, Baturfloi
Organizations: Ruby Braids, Jaded Mountaineers, Nidavellir Divers, Runesmiths
Religions: The Ancestor Father, Doomseeker Cult
description of the coat of arms
History of Khaz-Karim
Historical inscriptions found deep in the Ancestor Vaults indicate that the city is far older than the Thousandfold Peaks. The city is mentioned to have once been filled with creatures like that of Dwarves, only that their skin took a grey shade and their beards of blinding white. This breed of Dwarves was later dubbed as the Duergar.
Khuzarim, the Ancestor Father had Khaz-Karim built by the thousands of Druegar who worked with great efficiency and speed. After the monolithic structure had been erected, Khuzarim performed a miraculous feat to raise titanic pillars out of the oceanic floor, enveloping the citadel with an avalanche of rock and earth, the Thousandfold Peaks took shape and coated Khaz-Karim in a a few days.
Inscriptions say that in the wake of the forgery of the Thousandfold Peaks, Elemental creatures of fluid and sentient rock took shape in primal retaliation against Khuzarim for disrupting their domains for his own benefit. Many battles are recorded to have taken place in both the western and eastern fringes of the Thousandfold Peaks, as massive sentry-fortresses litter the Khazukian shores. Most sentry-fortresses are now ruined monuments of a bygone time where humanoids and elementals clashed in warfare. While a portion of Khuzarim's armies played a defensive battle, the majority of the Duergar along with Khuzarim himself delved into the core of the world to push back alien creatures that besieged the citadel.
The Path of the Ancestry Vanguard, which was dubbed by Runesmiths and scholars is the most prized relic of the citadel. The path led to a labyrinth of rough tunnels which branch into hundreds of tunnels which have collapsed or been sealed shut by Master Runes who no Khazukian dare to undo without sanctioning from the Runesmiths.
Age of the Bleeding Mountain
After the newly formed Khazukian kingdom had been reclaimed by the many tribes of the Valley of the Sun, the newly founded mining guild Nidavellir Divers sought to continue to excavate into the heart of the mountain. The excavation continued for several decades without any problems until the catalyst of what would be recorded as The Age of the Bleeding Mountain would unfold.
Once in a nameless night during excavations, a miner buried his pickaxe into rock, which in turn began to bleed a ruby fluid from it. A few seconds later an enveloping eye would emerge from the rock and after that a hollowing, deep scream echoed throughout the network of excavation tunnels. A bipedal creature began to emerge from the mountain and take shape. These creatures had grey skin so alike stone that it was almost invisible to the eye. It's size is rumoured to be as high as five Dwarves stacked together, Steinjotuns the scholars called them, a lean and huge creature had been awoken and thus triggering the many battles of the Age of the Bleeding Mountain.
The Steinjotun grabbed the miner and hurled him across the vertical tunnel as he screamed to his inevitable doom, splattering against the other side of the tunnel before fading to the dark bottomless vertical tunnel.
The battle cry of the Steinjotun awoke many others as they began to climb upwards while the rest of the miners scaled up as fast as they could to alert the Steinbeards and Runesmiths that something ancient had sounded their horns of war to assault Khaz-Karim once again.
King Bouldhart mustered the Steinbeards and Runesmiths to gear up for war, chanting in Dwarvish "Khazukan-Khazakeet Ha!" in defence of their kingdom where they would fight to the last Dwarf if needed. The Age of the Bleeding Mountain totalled thirty eight years, where Steinjotuns and Khazukians clashed deep under the earth, and with the war a great deal of lore would be recovered as the stone warhammers used by the Steinjotun appeared to have inscribed ancient runes, akin to that of the time of the Ancestor Father. Thus a red hot grudge would be bestowed in the stoney hearts of every Khazukian by the Master Runesmiths, who pointed it out to King Bouldhart that this foe, and all creatures resembling the Steinjotun were ancestral enemies of Khuzarim, the Ancestor Father.
Thus a tradition was forged by King Bouldhart, that every Dwarvenkin would slay and decimate Jotuns, branded as thieves and defilers of sacred Rune Magic gifted to Khazukians by their Ancestor Father.
Eventually no more Steinjotuns could be found under the Thousandfold Peaks, Runepriests and Smiths regale how the Khazukians cleansed the mountain of Steinjotuns, however the truth is a little different as the Jotuns retreated back into the depths of the earth for reasons unknown. Thus the attention turned above ground, both at the top of the Thousandfold Peaks were there were known to have a thick population of Haugjotuns and Ogres, and to the northeastern of the Thousandfold Peaks, in the Bifrostian Taiga were stronger arctic Isejotuns were rumoured to exist. With the demand of slayers to hunt these creatures, came the founding of the Jaded Mountaineers.
Founded by the brother Champions of the wars with the Steinjotuns in the excavation tunnels, Thradkraz and Muznaeth Jadenail who would spearhead expeditions outside the mountain to hunt Haugjotuns and Isejotuns for sport, tradition and pride. It was on one of these expeditions that the brothers encountered the Stürmkragians who sailed south to establish their own capital. fighting the Isejotuns, thus an alliance would be formed with a bond forged under the hatred for Jotunkin.
The First Isejotunen Season
Reclamation of Khaz-Karim
The citadel is as old as the mountain itself, first tribal dwarvish settlers from the northern part of the Valley of the Sun, where hundreds of tribes which lived in many caves carved out of the mountain range, eventually found the ancient thirty five feet tall, rune inscribed doors that weighed several tons, further north into the Thousandfold Peaks. The doors were named the Palm of the Mountain, made of gold and adorned with large ruby gems, it depicted a bearded Dwarven man, wearing a helmet, holding both hands out, exposing it's open palms to the onlookers as if motioning to gifting a present, should the doors be opened.
The doors had strange carvings on them, which glowed periodically with faint prismatic light. It was not only a form of art, as the first Dwarf that touched the door in an attempt to open the massive gates, became part of the mountain in seconds as he turned to stone.
It was clear that the Palm of the Mountain was an enigma. Many elders thought it as a challenge by their Ancestry Father, to solve the puzzle and be given a paradise where they would prosper. The Enigma of the Palms took 284 years to solve, and required the mustering of the brightest elders of the tribes combined, forsaking them as a toll along the way to unlocking the Palm of the Mountain. Naturally, forming the Canyon of the Wise.
Once the Enigma of the Palms had been cracked, the tribes of the Dwarves entered the ancient citadel. Baren and devoid of life, with aeons old vestiges of those that came before them, the vaults of the citadel gave the Dwarves who now called themselves Khazukians purpose and tradition. After discovering old literatures in tall libraries, that called out to this wonderous city, of Khaz-Karim. One such recording read "Come now, all that hail from me, sweat of my sweat and blood of my blood. Take thee rightful place amongst the heart of the mountain, where my children shall manifest themselves as the essence amongst it's veins. Ignite the dormant forges, and billow smoke of scolding rock"
The secrets of Khaz-Karim propelled the now established Khazukians into a golden age, which still persists to this day and has not peaked thus far. As more scholars and Runesmiths unearth the secrets of the mountain.
Khaz-Karim Today
Khaz-Karim is a known capital amongst the established civilizations of the continent, mostly for their gem extractions granted to them by the never ending continent wide excavations of the grand mining guild, Nidavellir Divers. While Khaz-Karim are mostly known for mining, siege warfare tactics and weaponry used by the Khazukian empire is unparalleled, along with its logistical genius that fans the fires of war. Khazukians are not only master Smiths and genius of warfare, they also have unearthed and practiced the occult art of Rune Magic, obtained from Jotuns during the events of the Bleeding Mountain.
Khaz-Karim, capital of the Dwarvish kingdom of Agrea. Under the mountains of the Thousandfold Peaks, Khazukians live out most of their lives in seclusion from the surface world. The comforts of their mega underground citadel which houses over half a million Dwarves and a hundred thousand lineages. Tradition is all there is.
The secrets of Khaz-Karim propelled the now established Khazukians into a golden age, which still persists to this day and has not peaked thus far. As more scholars and Runesmiths unearth the secrets of the mountain.
Order in Khaz-Karim
Order in the Khazukian kingdom is maintained solely by honour, of course criminal activity is present in the citadel in small scale by those who dishonoured themselves and their families and refused to take the Oath of the Doomseekers. There is a grand sense of sovereignty among Khazukians and pride, order and efficiency maintained by a vast majority of its denizens keep the citadel a unfaltering society who seek to preserve their tradition of duty, honour, pride and culture.
Neighbors, Rivals and Allies
It's major ally is still to this day Stürmkrag, who trades with Khaz-Karim for an exchange of metal goods, brewery and crops as the centuries old symbiotic wheel turns, bolstering both kingdoms. Its relationship with Aspida is neutral, who they also trade regularly. The Tribes of the Truinssear however somewhat refrains from engaging with Khaz-Karim, for reasons not known. New Dawn still bitter to this day for aiding Stürmkrag with the war effort of the Skyward Artery Tug, which also proved fruitful for the Dwarves, earning plunder from Stürmkragian raiding parties.
Government
a description detailing its governmental type and style
Military
a description detailing its military
Guard Reactions
a description detailing of the law enforcer's reactions with a party of players
guards arrival times table detailing the minutes required of guards to show up in a given location within the citadel
a interactions table to showcase example interactions between guards and players at a checkpoint and guard type
Law & Order
Common Law reigns in Khaz-Karim, while most dishonourable acts often have the perpetrators themselves take the Oath of the Doomseekers without any need for trial or justice delivering. As the Oath itself condemns the individual to be considered dead after reciting the words. With a glimmer of hope of redemption in the final moments between life and death.
Outsiders who commit infractions of the Common Law suffers from punishment as seen fit by the King or the victim, and a lifelong banishment of the kingdom as a whole.
Citizenry
a summary detailing the citizens that make up the population of capital and its relationships with each group of citizens
a section detailing prominent noble families
Economy and Trade
a description detailing established trade the capital has with its neighbors and allies and how its rivals and local population effects it
Religion
In Khaz-Karim, tradition is all, thus the venerated Ancestor Father Khuzarim is offered undeniable worship in the heat of the forge, or in the frontlines against the ancient enemies of citadel. Master Runepriests have erected many gothic cathedrals with centuries old artifacts of the Ancestor Father. The religious organization of the Runic Stones oversees all religious affairs regarding worship, pilgrimages and hunting seasons within and outside Khazukian borders.
For those with no hope to live a honourable life have but one option for redemption. Forsaking the fellowship of Khaz-Karim and tradition to pursue self-imposed exile to seek out their doom for an honourable death to erase their dishonour which no Doomseeker shall ever speak of. The dishonoured travel to the northernmost mountains of the Thousandfold Peaks to the stronghold of Iron Mohawkan to take the Oath by the dutiful Doomseeker King.
description detailing the religious practices within the capital and any (if any) outlawed practices
Dangers in Irunia
a description detailing the dangers of the everyday life within the city and its organizations that are the perpetrators
a table showcasing the kingpins of the capital
(a map of the city for reference)
Capital Landmarks
a description detailing the notable landmarks the capital houses
(a table for random encounters within the different neighborhoods within the city)